Punjab Kings (PBKS) spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi has provided a crucial update on the fitness on skipper and star opener Shikhar Dhawan. According to Joshi, Dhawan is currently undergoing a rehabilitation following a shoulder injury.
Dhawan missed the previous match against Rajasthan Royals, with Sam Curran leading the side in his absence.
“Regarding Shikhar, the medical team will update. As for now, he is under rehab,” said PBKS’ spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi at the pre-match press conference of the PBKS vs MI game.
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Dhawan is a major doubt for Punjab’s upcoming match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday, and most probably for the following IPL 2024 clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 21, Sunday.
While Dhawan’s batting form hasn’t been stellar this IPL season, he remains the team’s highest run-scorer with 152 runs from five innings, averaging 30.4 and striking at 125.61.
If everything goes well and Dhawan recovers in time, the star left-hander is suited to feature next in PBKS’s match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens on April 26.
It’s time our batters take responsibility: PBKS spin-bowling coach
PBKS are languishing in eighth place in the IPL standings with just two wins from their first six games. Sunil Joshi has pinpointed the team’s struggles at the top of the batting order as a key area needing improvement.
“It’s high time the top-order batters find their groove and lift the team,” Joshi said at the press conference. “The bowling unit is definitely doing well consistently in all the areas. It’s time our batters take responsibility“
While the likes of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma have impressed lower down the order, the established names at the top have faltered. Jonny Bairstow, Dhawan’s opening partner, has fared poorly with only 96 runs from six outings.
Joshi acknowledged the challenging batting conditions but also highlighted the need for consistency. “We have addressed the areas where we needed to look at, to score runs,” he said. “And also coming into this wicket, it’s a challenge for batters also.”
Apart from Bairstow, the likes of Prabhsimran Singh (119 runs at an average of 19.8), Jitesh Sharma (106 runs at an average of 17.67) and Sam Curran (126 runs at an average of 21) have all faltered with the bat.
With their place in the playoffs hanging in the balance, PBKS will be hoping for a significant improvement from their top batsmen in the coming matches.
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